Cinnamyl-substituted phenols are useful as biocidal agents.
Methods for the preparation of cinnamyl-substituted phenols are very limited because of the double bond in the cinnamyl substituent, which, under acidic conditions, tends to undergo further alkylation reactions. For example, in the reaction of cinnamyl chloride with phenol, catalyzed by aluminum chloride, only a small yield of cinnamyl phenol is obtained because of several side reactions.
We have discovered a method of preparing cinnamyl-substituted phenols wherein the reaction product contains little, if any, products resulting from alkylation at the double bond.